Thomas Haliburton, the author of the book "The Clockmaker, The Sayings and Doings of Sam Slick of Slickville", demonstrates the power an author can have over his audience. By using two fictional characters, Sam and the Squire, Haliburton is able, although sometimes through ridicule not always gentle, to persuade his primary readers at that time, the Nova Scotians or Bluenoses as he refers of them, into a more worthy and industrious way of life. Haliburton tends to stick to a few important factors, which he feels are important if Nova Scotia is to grow and prosper, as he ultimately hopes will occur.
             Through various economic, political and social maxims, Haliburton reaches his ultimate goal, to reach out to his fellow countrymen, make them see the true value of their country and stop looking for reasons why they are not prospering, and start looking for ways they can.
             Haliburton spends a great deal of time emphasizing Nova Scotia's economic needs. He does a very good job of pointing out the province's economic potential but talks of the province as being 'stagnant' because of the Bluenoses inability to 'cypher'. By using Sam, who is not from this 'stagnant province' Haliburton is able to present which economic activities he feels Nova Scotians should endorse, from an outside character looking in. The first is the building of a railroad. Sam's character argues that a railroad is what is needed from Halifax to the Bay of Fundy in order to increase the economy.
             "The only thing that will either make or save Halifax, is a railroad across the country to Bay of Fundy." P. 78
             "Well, what's a railroad? The substitution of mechanical for human and animal labor, on a scale as grand as our country. Labor is dear in America, and cheap in Europe. A railroad, therefore, is comparatively no manner of use to them, to what it is to us - it does wonders there, but it works miracles here. There it makes the old man younger, but here it makes a ...